Feed-water heater



L. D. LOVEKIN. FEED WATER HEATER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 25, I916.

Patented Aug. 24, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Cutout;

Wax um L. D. LOVEKIN.

FEED WATER HEATER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 25, 1916.

1 ,350, 820, Patented Aug. 24, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNI ED STATES.

ra'rnnrorrlcs.

FEED-WATER HEATER.

i Application filed September To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LUTHER D. Lovnxil a citizen of the United States, and a resi- Water Heaters, of which thefollowing is- "1 of the type referred to with a novel arrange-v dentof the city and county of Philadelphia,

State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certam new and useful Improvements in Feeda true and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof.

My present invention relates to heat interchanging apparatus of the surface condenser type in which heat is transferred to a .colder fluid flowing through a group of spaced apart tubes from a condensable vapor, as steam, in contact with the outer walls of the tubes, and the general object of the invention is to provide" simple and efiective apparatus of the type characterized by its efiiciency and relatively high capacity per unit of bulk. Morespecifically the object of my invention is to provide apparatus ment of .bafiies in the vapor space traversed by the tubes which will insure a desirable distribution ,of the vapor. through the vapor space and which will divert the liquid of condensation forming on, and drippm ofi upper tubes away from lower tubes. his adds to the efiectiveness of the apparatus since a liquid coat or filin on a tube exerts a heat insulating eflfect which increases with the thickness of the coat or; film and correspondingly reduces the coefficient of heat transmission through the tube vwall.

The various features of no velty which characterize my invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims .annexed to r and forming apart of this specification.

F or a better understanding of the invention, however, and the-advantages possessed by it, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which have illustrated and described preferred. embodiments of my invention.

' Of the drawings:

. ferred embodiment of my invention;

fso

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a pre- Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. .1; F ig. 2 is a perspective view partly broken away, of one of the bafile plates;

- Specification of'Letters Patent. Pate ited Aug. 24, 1920.

25,1916. Serial in. 122,046.

locomotive. To the ends of the casing body.

expansion of the casing body A and'the tubes E which are ri dly connected at their ends into the tube 5 eets D. The tubes E are approximately horizontally disposed. As shown, the steam space within the casing body A traversed by the tubes E is provided with two steam inlets A at its upper edge and a bottom outlet A for water of condensation. The end member B is formed with an inlet chamber B and an outlet chamber B and a third chamber B The space in the end member C is divided into two equal portions by the vertical diaphragm C. The feed water to be heated entering the chamber B through the inlet B passes through the tubes E opening into that chamthe left of the partition C as viewed in Fig. 3, and returns from that chamberto the chamber B through the tubes E opening to both of said chambers. The waterpasses ,froni the chamber B to the chamber in the endjmember C at the right of the partition a C through the tubes E connecting the two chambers last referred to. Thence the water returns to the chamber B through the tubes ,Efconnected thereto, and leaves the apparatus through the outlet port B. The water her to the chamber in the end member C at the chambered end members be divided and provided with external connections th insure one or any desirable plurality of passages of the water being heated from one end of the apparatus to the other.

The tubes E are arranged in diagonal rows running from the upper edge to'the outer vertical edges of the assembled body of tubes toward the vertical central plane of the tube receiving space. A trough. shaped member or bafile-G with oppositely inclined sides, is arranged below the central pair of tubes E at the upper edge of the mass of tubes. This trough is formed at one or both ends with a discharge opening G for water of condensation collecting in the trough. Interposed between each adjacent pair of diagonal rows of tubes E below the member G are plate-like baffles H which terminate at their lower edges either adjacent the verticalcentral plane of the body of tubes or, in the case of the lower baflies, at the lower edge of the mass of tubes. The bafile plates are secured in place in any suitable manner.

With the described arrangement each of the baflie plates H receives the water of condensation forming on and dripping off the tubes E in the diagonal row immediately above the bafiie plate and conducts this water either to the center of the tube mass or, in the case of the lower baffle plates, to the lower edge of the tube body. In either event the baffles efl'ectuallyl protect the tubes beneath them against the drip of the 'water of condensation formed'on the tubes above them. At the same time the bafiies insure a very desirable distribution of the steam through the intertube space as they provide a large v number of separate steam passages leading inwardly and downwardly from the upper and side edges of the steam space. This 'minimizes any tendency to the creation of air pockets and undesirable eddies in the active condensing portion of the steam space. The trough'shaped baflle IG effectlvely prevents the rush of an unduly large portion of the steam into the upper central portion of intertube space. The baffle plates H are advantageousl secured'in place by formin each plate wit outturned flange portions at its ends, as shown in Fig. 2 Apertures are formed. in the flange portions H to receive the tubes E lyin immediately above the battle. The baflles it-and HA may be secured in place in the same manner.

The baflles may sometimes be corrugated with advantage, as are the baflie plates HA shown in Fig. 4, as this makes it possible to get the necessary stiffness with thinner baffies than would otherwise be required, and this turn permits of a closer tube spacing.

While in accordance with the provisions of the statutes I have illustrated and described the best forms of, my invention now known to me, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes can be made in the form of my invention without departing from its spirit, and that some features of my invention can be used without a cor-- responding use of other features.

Having now described my inve'ntion,wl1at I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is I Heat exchange apparatus comprising in combination a casing inclosing a vapor chamber with, an upper inlet for the va or and a lower outlet for the liquid of con ensation, a group of horizontally disposed" tubes traversing said chamber and arranged in rows diagonally inclined downwardly and toward a central vertical plane of the intertube space, correspondingly inclined baflle plates arranged between the rows of tubes to provide diagonal vapor and water ,of condensation paths leading inwardlyand downwardly'from the upper and side edges of the intertube space, and a central downwardly extending escape passage for liquid of com densation, and a trough shaped baflle extending along and partially" closing the upper end of said passage.

LUTHER D. LOVEKIN. 

